PM Shehbaz reiterates resolve to eliminate India-backed terrorism in Balochistan

• PM chairs Provincial Apex Committee meeting in Quetta.
• PM voices concerns over recent terrorist attacks in Balochistan.
• Premier lauds sacrifices of armed forces in fight against terrorism.
  

QUETTA: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday reaffirmed the resolve of the civil and military leadership to eliminate India-backed terrorism in Balochistan.

The premier made the remarks while chairing a meeting of the Provincial Apex Committee on the National Action Plan in Quetta.

The PM expressed concerns over the recent terrorist attacks in the province, saying that “very serious incidents” took place in the past four days.

At least 54 India-backed terrorists were killed, while 42, including troops and civilians, embraced martyrdom while defending the motherland during three major terrorist incidents in Balochistan over the past four days.

Lauding the sacrifices of the armed forces and the civilians, the premier said: “We have to thwart the nefarious designs of Fitna al-Khawarij.He said that the entire nation stands shoulder to shoulder with the armed forces.

“This war [against terrorism] will continue until the last terrorist in Pakistan is eliminated,” the premier added.

Referring to India, the prime minister said Pakistan's "eastern neighbour" was behind the terrorist attacks, adding that Afghan soil was being used to launch attacks in Pakistan.

The prime minister said that the “enemy was unable to digest Pakistan’s diplomatic achievements.”

Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, Balochistan Governor Jaffar Khan Mandokhail, Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Sarfraz Bugti, and heads of law enforcement agencies were among the attendees of the high-level meeting.

The development came a day after Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry expressed the armed forces’ resolve to hunt down “every terrorist, facilitator” after recent wave of Balochistan attacks.

Addressing a press conference, Lt Gen Chaudhry had said a total of 42, including 38 security personnel, embraced martyrdom while defending the country in the recent Balochistan attacks, while law enforcement agencies had so far killed 54 India-backed terrorists in operations carried out in response to the recent attacks.

The ISPR DG had said that the security forces will continue pursuing every terrorist and their facilitators. "We will hunt down every terrorist and all their facilitators," he added.

He had said that the Afghan territory under the control of the Taliban regime was being used to carry out terrorist attacks against Pakistan.